Adrienne Kramer
English 250, Section VC
Assignment 2: Summary
Andre Martin’s On Teenagers and Tattoos describes to other psychiatrists and even
parents when adolescents get tattoos and piercings. He explains an adolescent’s desire for
identity, ownership, permanence, and setting themselves apart from their parents. By getting a
tattoo they can accomplish all three of theses desires. When an adolescent gets a tattoo they
display how they see themselves and how they think they will see themselves for the rest of their
lives.
Andre Martin states, “Adolescents and their parents are often at odds of the acquisition of
bodily decorations” (2). Parents often see tattoos and other body decorations as a rejection of their
authority while adolescents see them as beauty enhancers or social identifiers. Adolescents use
body decoration to set themselves apart from, not only their peers, but also their parents’ values
and beliefs. This conflict about body art causes a lot of tension on the relationship between
parents and their children, and can be avoided with the parents’ understanding of a teenagers’
needs to express themselves through their appearance.
Adolescents get tattoos to establish their identity, set themselves apart from their peers, or
identify themselves with a certain group. They often get tattoos in hopes to show individuality
and certainty of who they are. They use this individuality to show autonomy and uniqueness to
authority and other adolescents. On the other hand, they also get tattoos to blend in with a group
and to show solidarity and commitment to an organization.
By getting a tattoo, adolescents establish a sense of permanence and ownership in a world
where they are not old enough to own anything of their own. Tattoos allow adolescents to choose,
imagine and design something that will be on them and apart of them forever. With this concept
of forever comes the permanence of their world, as it is when they get a tattoo. Their body is
constantly changing and so is the world around them, a tattoo gives them the permanence they
crave.
Evaluation for Adrienne Kramer
Excellent
Good
Fair
Needs work
Context
x
Authorial position: thought & sensitivity in establishing
topic; essay ID’d & summary appropriately narrow
Purpose: established clearly & maintained consistently.
Introduction: to the point, w/ name & précis.
x
x
Substance
x
Development: complete & always relevant; details wellchosen & under control.
Sources: quotes appropriate for scope & accurate
x
Organization
Focus: a precise thesis, controlling whole
x
Introduction & Conclusion: overview at the beginning;
conclusion sums up key points
x
Relationship: relationship of ideas clear & coherent.
x
Unity & Sequence: all paragraphs support main point of
summary & structured logically
x
Style
Expression: clarity & concision in keeping w/ brevity
x
Syntax: sentences varied, short & long, simple &
complex
x
Vocabulary: precise, definitive, & appropriate wording
x
Conventions/Correctness
Free from sentence-level errors
x
Free from word-level errors
x
Delivery
Consistency: typography, headings, graphics
x
Medium: appropriate paper, font; on time & clean
x
Access: audience will recognize it as academic summary
x
There’s obvious intelligence here, in error-free writing & your
sensitive summary of what motivates teens to get tattoos.
Unfortunately, the assignment called for you to summarize what
Martin had to say, his arguments & insights. This assignment
however mentions his piece & provides one brief quote, then
leaves the author out entirely. The absence of a Works Cited is
symptomatic of the problem. Eventually, more damaging, your
reliance on general statements of the teens’ motivations leads
you into repetition. Work on staying specific. C+-